Former DA petitions to have wife treated for alcoholism

Thursday

NEW BEDFORD — Former District Attorney Ronald A. Pina has petitioned the courts to commit his wife into a treatment center for alcoholism.

NEW BEDFORD — Former District Attorney Ronald A. Pina has petitioned the courts to commit his wife into a treatment center for alcoholism.

A doctor is expected to interview Sheila Martines Pina today to determine her condition and eligibility for such treatment.

In his petition for the hearing, Mr. Pina noted his wife's "frequent use of alcohol on a daily basis" and said there is "a substantial risk of physical harm to herself and others."

Mrs. Martines Pina, the former president of the Southeastern Massachusetts Convention and Visitors Bureau, was arraigned Wednesday in Third District Court on her fifth drunken driving charge; she has two prior convictions. Police arrested her Tuesday after reportedly seeing her drunk behind the wheel of her car in the South End.

A third offense of drunken driving carries a maximum five-year state prison sentence, with a 150-day mandatory minimum sentence. It also calls for a fine of up to $15,000. A jail sentence can be served in a prison treatment program, officials said. The state can also suspend a driver's license for eight years. It is unknown whether her license has been revoked.

Mrs. Martines Pina has two pending drunken driving cases from 2006. She also has two prior drunken driving convictions, in 1989 and 1997.

On Wednesday, a Third District Court judge revoked her bail on the 2006 cases, requiring Mrs. Martines Pina be held in jail or a treatment center until the cases are resolved.

"We're ready for trial," Second Assistant District Attorney Paul Machado said during the arraignment.

Whether Mrs. Martines Pina, 50, goes to jail or a treatment facility should be determined today in the civil commitment hearing.

If the court finds Mrs. Martines Pina poses a harmful risk, she could be committed up to 30 days for treatment, said Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for the Bristol County District Attorney's Office.

According to Bernie Sullivan, a spokesman for Bristol County Sheriff's Office, Mrs. Martines Pina was transported to a detention facility outside Bristol County following her arraignment.

According to court records of Mrs. Martines Pina's latest charges, New Bedford Police Officer David Roy spotted her inside her Jeep Liberty, parked in the Frederick Street boat ramp parking lot near Davy's Locker restaurant and lounge, Tuesday evening. The lot is off limits to vehicles not towing trailers.

Officer Roy said Mrs. Martines Pina emitted a strong odor of alcohol and slurred her speech. She could not stand on her own without assistance, according to the police report.

Officer Roy reported seeing 14 nip bottles of vodka, all but two empty, strewn about the car's interior. He decided not to have Mrs. Martines Pina undergo a field sobriety test because it would risk injury to her, his report indicated.

She refused to take a Breathalyzer exam while being booked at New Bedford police headquarters.

The arrest this week elevated charges lodged against her in December for two alleged drunken driving accidents incidents in August. The two counts of operating under the influence and negligent operation became operating under the influence, third offense.

On Aug. 8, Mrs. Martines Pina slammed her Jeep into a car near the intersection of Purchase and Willis streets. A witness told police Mrs. Martines Pina was swerving in and out of her lane. Police found an empty nip bottle of alcohol inside her car. She was later hospitalized at St. Luke's for a "very high alcohol content," according to court records.

Less than two weeks later, on Aug. 21, Mrs. Martines Pina struck a stopped car on Route 18. A police officer reported seeing her drinking a nip bottle of vodka. She was reportedly in and out of consciousness and seven empty nip bottles were found inside her car.

Earlier this month, police took Mrs. Martines Pina into protective custody after picking her up at St. Luke's Hospital, where a disturbance had occurred.

Mrs. Martines Pina's struggles with addiction have been ongoing for nearly 20 years. In 2002, her husband reported her missing after not seeing her for a week. She turned up at Rhode Island Hospital, and family refused to say what kind of treatment she received there.

Her problems escalated this year when on Jan. 5 she was fired from the tourist convention bureau job she held for 18 years. The president of the board said Mrs. Martines Pina lost her job for several violations of internal policies, and she had not been at work for several weeks.

Contact Brian Fraga at

bfraga@s-t.com

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